diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 179bac04..34251a16 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ NEWS
 ====
 
 - 1.4.40
+  * [mod_ssi] enhance support for ssi vars (thx fbrosson)
 
 - 1.4.39 - 2016-01-02
   * [core] fix memset_s call (fixes #2698)
diff --git a/src/mod_ssi.c b/src/mod_ssi.c
index 8afacc43..f3f255b7 100644
--- a/src/mod_ssi.c
+++ b/src/mod_ssi.c
@@ -457,9 +457,10 @@ static int process_ssi_stmt(server *srv, connection *con, plugin_data *p, const
 		}
 		default: {
 			data_string *ds;
-			/* check if it is a cgi-var */
+			/* check if it is a cgi-var or a ssi-var */
 
-			if (NULL != (ds = (data_string *)array_get_element(p->ssi_cgi_env, var_val))) {
+			if (NULL != (ds = (data_string *)array_get_element(p->ssi_cgi_env, var_val)) ||
+			    NULL != (ds = (data_string *)array_get_element(p->ssi_vars, var_val))) {
 				chunkqueue_append_mem(con->write_queue, CONST_BUF_LEN(ds->value));
 			} else {
 				chunkqueue_append_mem(con->write_queue, CONST_STR_LEN("(none)"));
diff --git a/src/mod_ssi_expr.c b/src/mod_ssi_expr.c
index 4f0605c9..256c960a 100644
--- a/src/mod_ssi_expr.c
+++ b/src/mod_ssi_expr.c
@@ -207,7 +207,9 @@ static int ssi_expr_tokenizer(server *srv, connection *con, plugin_data *p,
 
 				buffer_copy_string_len(token, t->input + t->offset + 2, i-3);
 			} else {
-				for (i = 1; isalpha(t->input[t->offset + i]) || t->input[t->offset + i] == '_';  i++);
+				for (i = 1; isalpha(t->input[t->offset + i]) ||
+					    t->input[t->offset + i] == '_' ||
+					    ((i > 1) && isdigit(t->input[t->offset + i]));  i++);
 
 				buffer_copy_string_len(token, t->input + t->offset + 1, i-1);
 			}